Student No.

/ Name __________________________

The Parts of a Paragraph

Most English writing is organized into paragraphs. A paragraph is a
group of sentences that develops one main idea. It usually begins with a
sentence that states the main idea. This sentence is called the topic sentence.
The other sentences in the paragraph explain the main idea. They add details
and give support. These sentences are called supporting sentences.
Sometimes paragraphs also have a closing sentence. It is the last sentence of
the paragraph.

The Parts of a Paragraph

- A paragraph is a group of sentences that develops one main idea.
- There are 3 parts to paragraphs in English:
1. Topic sentence
2. Supporting sentences
3. Closing sentence

Read the model paragraph and study the parts.

Students in American universities come from many topic sentence

different parts of the world. Some are from European
countries such as France, Spain, and Italy. Others are from
Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel. Still supporting
others were born in Asian countries, including Japan and sentences
Korea. A large number of students are from Latin American
countries like Mexico, Venezuela, and Peru. American
universities have an interesting mix of people from many closing sentence
different countries.
 Student No. / Name __________________________

Identifying the Parts of a Paragraph

Read the following paragraphs and answer the questions.

1. There are many reasons why people move. Some move to find better
jobs or to advance their careers. Others are attracted to places with better
weather. Still others want to move to a place with less crime. Finally, people
often want to move to a place with a lower cost of living. For these reasons,
every year millions of people pack up and move to new places.

a. What is the topic sentence? Make it bold.

b. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?
c. Is there a closing sentence? If so, italicize it.

2. Many men are now employed in jobs that traditionally belonged to

women. For example, there are now twice as many male nurses as there were
ten years ago in the U.S. The number of male flight attendants has increased
from zero in 1960 to 10,000 today. Similarly, there are many more male
secretaries, elementary school teachers, and telephone operators than ever
before. It is clear that ideas about traditionally female occupations have
changed.

a. What is the topic sentence? Make it bold.

b. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?
c. Is there a closing sentence? If so, italicize it.

3. For thousands of years garlic has had many uses. The Romans gave
garlic to their slaves for strength and to their soldiers for courage. During the
Middle Ages, some people used garlic to keep witches away. In the eighteenth
century, garlic was used to cure diseases. Even today, some people believe that
eating garlic can prevent colds. Garlic has a long history as a plant that can give
health and protection.

a. What is the topic sentence? Make it bold.

b. How many supporting sentences are there in the paragraph?
c. Is there a closing sentence? If so, italicize it.